Mimics the behavior of a synapse, an essential component of the brain, responsible for transmitting signals between neurons, with low consumption
For decades scientists tried to make the first computers seeking inspiration in the human brain. Over time, technology replaced the biological barrier, creating computers that even surpassed humans, but with a much higher energy load. Now, science is looking back to the past again. Theoretical physicists from Utrecht University, together with experimental physicists from Sogang University in South Korea, have managed to manufacture an artificial synapse that runs on water and salt, that is, with the same fuel that our brain uses to process complex information.
Until now we had managed to make brain-like computers that moved away from traditional binary processing to human-like analog methods. However, while our brains function using water and salt particles, called ions, Most current computers rely on conventional solid materials.
Replicating the functioning of the brain by adopting the same tools has become the main objective of so-called iontronic neuromorphic computing. Now scientists have shown for the first time that a water-salt dependent system is capable of processing complex information. The results have just been published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The central element of this discovery is a tiny device, 150 by 200 micrometers (a micrometer is one thousandth of a millimeter), which mimics the behavior of a synapse, an essential component of the brain, responsible for transmitting signals between neurons.
“We are replicating neuronal behavior using a system that uses the same medium as the brain,” he points out. Tim Kamsmaprofessor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics and the Institute of Mathematics at Utrecht University, and lead author of the study.
The device, developed by scientists in Korea, and called an iontronic memristor, consists of a cone-shaped microchannel filled with a water and salt solution. Upon receiving electrical impulses, ions within the liquid migrate through the channel, which causes alterations in the concentration of ions. Depending on the intensity (or duration) of the impulse, the conductivity of the channel is adjusted, reflecting the strengthening or weakening of connections between neurons. “The possibility of adapting the channels to retain and process information for different times is similar to the synaptic mechanisms observed in our brain,” explains Kamsma.
The genesis of this discovery dates back to an idea conceived by Kamsma, who began working with a South Korean research group: “They welcomed my theory with great enthusiasm and quickly began experimental work based on it.” Surprisingly, The findings materialized in just three monthsfollowing the predictions outlined in Kamsma’s theoretical framework: “It is incredibly rewarding to witness the transition from theoretical guesses to tangible results in the real world.”
Kamsma underscores the fundamental nature of the research and highlights that iontronic neuromorphic computing, while experiencing rapid growth, is still in its infancy.
The expected result is a computing system far superior in efficiency and energy consumption compared to current technology. “It represents a crucial advance toward computers capable not only of imitating the communication patterns of the human brain but also of using the same medium. Perhaps it will ultimately pave the way for computer systems that more closely reproduce the extraordinary capabilities of the human brain.”
